Chương 36: Chapter 35 - The First Lesson

Mira nodded before guiding Eli to a large flat boulder near the river bank. Eli scooped the sleepy lizard into his arms and followed as Mira dropped two folding chairs onto the rock face and gestured for Eli to sit. Showing an uncanny level of intelligence the creature seemed to realize something interesting was about to happen as Mira snapped her fingers and the privacy dome enveloped them. The little wyvern sat up in Eli's lap giving Mira her undivided attention just the same as Eli.

Mira smiled down at the creature before speaking, " Smarter than I thought, very good little one, this lesson is important for you too." Looking up at Eli Mira crossed her legs and began, " Mr. Mercer. The amount of information and the context you require to understand it is vast, and given that it is imperative that I impart at least a modicum to you prior to reaching our at the very least our second destination, if not our first, means I must move quickly.""

Given your background, and your demonstration yesterday, I do not doubt your capability to learn quickly, but I find a willing pupil is a far more productive one so let me begin a few items to set the battlefield in your mind in preparation. Forgive the analogy, but a Bluffback is often motivated by both the potato and the whip, but since you are not a Bluffback both can serve to motivate you if you are aware of them." Eli nodded cautiously as she continued, " The whip.

If we enter a population center of the Empire as you are, the only way I can guarantee that both my Lady and I keep to the spirit, if not the letter of our Oath, would be to keep you locked in a wagon."" Frankly you are not only clearly an outlander, but your ignorance of our world would beggar belief in even the worst of informants." Mira gestured towards the camp, " We already plan to present you both among our sworn companions and the greater world beyond as a lone traveler lost and far from home.

One who came to our aid and therefore who we are assisting in our gratitude, and the tale should be effective since it is mostly true." She held up a finger, " However, our battle plan will fail before the first strike if you fail to produce knowledge that even the most naive child knows of the system no matter how isolated." She gestured placatingly with one palm, " This is no fault of your own, but still the situation must be remedied.

Both my Lady and I will share this task, and we may even enlist some trustworthy fellows to assist. I have noticed your growing friendship with Mr. Cooper, and he provides a fine example of the character I would require for such an endeavor."" Now for the potato!" Mira rolled her eyes with a smile as Eli snickered, " Please substitute whatever dish you desire Mr. Mercer, I am sure you are clever enough to understand my meaning."

She leaned forward, chin propped in her palm over her crossed legs while giving Eli a knowing smile, " Unless I've missed my mark you do seem quite fond of my Lady, are you not?" She tossed her head back in a hearty laugh as Eli spluttered out a denial before continuing over his protestations, " Oh come now Mr. Mercer you would hardly be the first, she is quite charming, no matter the opinion of the detestably foppish masses that comprise most of her peers."" I was young once too, I do understand.

I have chased after more than a few tails in my day as well." She cleared her throat, fighting down her mirth, before continuing with a slightly more serious expression." I will preface my next statement with the point that I would only mention this, since it is something that neither my Lady nor many of her attendants or clan members in her inner circle would ever freely admit."" Lady Astra Emberholdt is lonely."

Mira waved off Eli's arched brow with a scoff, " Not like that you rogue, I don't mean for a warm body to share her berth, but for companionship in a more general sense. Finding trusted colleagues in the viper's pit noble affairs is already difficult enough, given the lack of suitable candidates due to her social standing, but especially so for her due to her own nature."

Mira fixed Eli with a serious look, " Lady Emberholdt is one of the premier talents of her generation, and while my pride may bias my opinion, I dare say she is at or near the peak in terms of potential. While this is a wonderful thing, her peers know this, her grandfather, bless his crusty old heart, is an insufferable braggart and crows to the peerage often about her triumphs and tribulations.""

They are well aware that in the future she will rise above many of them, and this leads many of them to plot how they can either eliminate her rise or usurp her talent for their own ambitions." Her expression crumbled into one of worry as her eyes drifted through the camp trailing after Astra on her rounds." The path to power is a long and lonely one, often filled with blood and misery, and few comforts. I fear her path may be lonelier than most." Mira took a deep breath before looking back at Eli."

If you can forgive my maudlin tangent, this is all to say that I can tell that she is fond of you too. The part I fear she is unlikely to admit to herself is that you may be one of the few talented enough to keep up with her on the path, but I have been surprised by her insight before." Mira smiled, " This brings us to the interesting part of this. You like magic, and you like the thrill of battle.

Don't ever bother denying it, I saw you leap from a tree to hang a man with a smile on your face, and when you drew close your aura reeked of the bloodsong." If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. She waved a dismissive hand, " It is nothing to be ashamed of, if anything a little bloodlust is quite the boon on the path as long as you have it well in hand. Even my Lady, as the nobility would say, 'suffers' from it as well."" I can help you with both.

If I have my way, when I'm done with you, you will have a foundation strong enough to climb to the stars themselves as long as you are willing to work for it. But a foundation is only a beginning, if you want to grow you will need to find your purpose and your path, and it will take many tests and trials to find them. This is where I can not help you." Mira smirked the fierce glint from last night entering her eye again, " As such we come to the real 'potato' as it were. I can not help you, but my Lady can.

If there is any place you are most likely to find your path, the Royal Academy is it."" If not peacefully in their extensive libraries, then by a trial of fire and blood as they toss you into the Abyss to battle monsters beyond your imagination." Mira laughed as Eli perked up in excitement, " I told you there is no use denying it, I've met your kind before. Never fear you will not lack for worthy foes. I highly doubt my Lady would let such a promising companion slip from her grasp, no.""

I have known my lady since she barely reached my knee, and if she is not currently scheming to get you into the academy with her, come the entrance exam, I will sit down in front of you and eat my own sword." Leaning back up right, Mira slapped a knee, " So let's make sure you make it through the next town, but keep our conversation between us. While I would hate to ruin her surprise, I would much rather you be prepared and I can send her off with a trusted companion.""

All right you two, ready for your first lesson?"

Eli and the tiny wyvern straightened in their seats, Mira held up a hand, " Before begin do you currently have an open general skill slot?" Eli nodded, " Sure I only have 9 so far." Mira snorted with a roll of eyes, " Of course you do, you madman, we'll get into why that is odd a little later."" To begin with we'll use this session to cover a few basics, but more of an introduction to the wonders of the great System.

If you have any questions outside the lesson, please hold them for now, we should have plenty of time later when our caravan is on the road. Actually, here." Mira reached into a small pouch on her belt, and handed over a small notebook and charcoal pencil, well made but bereft of maker's marks. Mira waved, " In case you need to take notes. I doubt anyone would be able to read your language, which should work better than any cipher, so feel free to be as open in your writing as you desire.""

To begin with, every living entity under the great System has the ability to, at any point, have 10 general skills prepared, and a further 10 class specific skills per each class unlocked. Given that you still only have 9 I would imagine you would not know what happens when you attempt to gain an 11th?" Eli shook his head as Mira continued, " Well you will quickly discover that the system will ask you to discard a currently known skill if you wanted to take another.

While at a low level, especially those such as yourself still in the child class, this is not a large detriment."" The lowest levels come easy, you could pick up the skill [Woodcutting] for example, and over the course of a week of chopping firewood or whittling you would quickly reach the cap. Most similar low level skills are quick to pick up and discard, and they provide very little power or knowledge, but they do so for a reason.""

Do you perhaps have a simple crafting skill, maybe one you received easily and could operate without?" Eli twirled the pencil in thought, " Yeah I do. I not only received [Dismantling] but it grew to the second level with harvesting just two boars, one adult and one piglet." Mira gave a single clap, " Perfect example, give it a few hunts, and you could reach the cap.

It would provide a small assistance steadying your hand, and if you didn't know what you were doing it would scream at you to not leave behind any parts with abnormal mana levels. An experienced harvester would get little use from the skin, and if you lack the skill it would hardly stop you from completing the work."" Why do you think that is?" Eli leaned back, " I'm assuming they are intended for the child class. Beginner skills for literal children?" Mira nodded, " Just so, Mr. Mercer, just so.""

The last thing any parent needs is an inexperienced youngling cutting a wall of their house in twain with a paring knife, but in order to find their way they need to try new things, and in order to grow and walk their path later in life the need to experience what it means to grow in level. This does not mean that you should discard a skill at face value, any skill can grow to tremendous power with time and effort, at a high enough level even the humble [Dismantling] could have startling power."

Eli raised his hand, and Mira eyed him with a slight frown, " I did say to hold questions, what is it?" Eli held up a placating hand, " I figured it might be relevant, Astra said I should ask you about some guy with [Whisting] in the 200's some time?" Mira relaxed, " Very well an apt question, but I shall hold the full recounting for a later time, and yes it is an excellent tale despite spoiling the ending.

Suffice to say I once met a very old fisherman, and when I asked why he would both such thing, he told me, 'So I can see the fish' and with one short note an air blade skimmed along the top of the top of lake cutting every for almost a hundred paces in all directions and and a second summoned a gust blowing the shorn reeds up onto the shore in a neat pile." Eli's brows climbed into his hairline as he grunted, " Huh, message received." Mira laughed, " Aye, even I had a similar reaction.""

Now not all skills are the same. One of the lessons that our children learn as they grow is that they don't need to discard all these skills and start fresh, but with the right compatibility they can grow their power instead. Might you have any that seem like they would be compatible?" Eli snorted, " That's easy, I can see where this is going, something like [Basic Weapon Proficiency - Polearms] and [Basic Weapon Proficiency - Small Blades]?"

Mira almost purred, " Exactly, and I am very glad that you have those, we will be working on them later. Skills such as those may be combined, provided you either explicitly know or can deduce the components for a larger more powerful skill." She gestured in Eli's direction, " The educational system of your homeland sounds very impressive, but unfortunately with the many threats consuming the attention of the leaders in this Realm we unfortunately have never had the time or ability to build such an institution.""

We do our best to disseminate knowledge among the masses, but safety, shelter, and sustenance come first, and in this realm at times we find our hands quite full already. As such one of the best ways to build power and grow a broad foundation is to have access to the formulae for these skills." Mira leaned forward, "Here is the interesting part even basic foundational skills are not all the same.

Some skills accessible at even the lowest levels can hold fantastic potential by themselves, the kind that can carry you to the peak. We will discuss the first one now, and hopefully we can achieve the second before the end of the day."